Orange is not a very common color in the world of gemstones and is most people’s first choice. Although the list of orange gemstones isn’t exhaustive, there are a range of stunning orange gemstones that offer a unique and eye-catching look when set into jewellery. Orange is a mixture of red and yellow, combining the energy and heat of red with the brightness and positivity of yellow. Gemstone in Orange symbolizes joy, sunshine, warmth, creativity, happiness and a touch of the exotic. Orange Gemstones Guide
Orange Gemstones Guide
If you would like to add an orange gemstone to your jewellery collection, keep reading! Here we list the top 15 orange gemstones used in jewellery. Semi Precious Stones
Orange Diamond
Features:
- Extremely rare
- Very expensive
- Synthetic varieties available
Nicknamed ‘fire diamonds’ for their intense color, orange diamonds are stunning and desirable gemstones. Pure orange diamonds are extremely rare and highly valuable, receiving their color from the presence of nitrogen.
Most orange diamonds are found with secondary hues of brown, yellow and pink and range from Faint Orange to Fancy Deep Orange in shades. Orange diamonds are also known as ‘pumpkins’ partly due to their color and partly because of the famous orange diamond known as the Pumpkin Diamond. Due to their rarity and high price point, synthetic orange diamonds offer a more accessible option for most people.
Orange Sapphire
Features:
- Rare
- Highly durable
- Commonly heat treated
- Synthetic varieties available
Orange is a rare color when it comes to sapphires. These gemstones generally have traces of yellow or pink in them and the border between these three colors can overlap sometimes. Almost all orange sapphires on the market are enhanced to reach the desired orange color but in nature, orange sapphires receive their color from traces of vanadium. Sapphires have excellent durability, second only to diamonds, and are ideal for all types of jewellery.
The highly valuable and stunning variety of salmon colored sapphires known as Padparadscha are also called orange sapphires. These are rare and highly coveted varieties of sapphire.
Citrine
Features:
- Fairly abundant
- Relatively durable
- Often faceted
- Good brilliance
- Transparent
Citrine is a transparent variety of quartz that occurs in yellow to dark orange shades. Called citrine after the French word citron for lemon, this gemstone is famous for its golden hues. Citrine is relatively durable (Mohs 7) and holds up to wear and tear quite well. Citrine has very good clarity and is highly transparent.
It is also a brilliant gemstone and is often faceted to enhance this feature. Due to its bright color, citrine has come to symbolize positivity, happiness and contentment and is popular among crystal healers.
Orange Zircon
Features:
- Fairly rare
- Relatively affordable
- Often faceted
- Very high brilliance
- Transparent
Zircon is often confused with cubic zirconia, the cheap diamond simulant, due to the similarities in their names. But zircon is actually a natural gemstone that is highly brilliant and quite rare. In fact, it is the only natural gemstone that has a brilliance comparable to that of diamonds.
Orange zircon is almost always faceted to maximize the stone’s brilliance. It has a vitreous luster and typically has excellent transparency. Orange zircon ranks at 6 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale and is not very durable. It is also not very tough due to its brittleness and is not resistant to chipping and breaking. Orange zircon is a relatively affordable gemstone. Zircon Stone Guide
Imperial Topaz
Features:
- Most valuable topaz variety
- Rare
- Very good durability
- Vitreous luster
Although topaz is quite commonly found and fairly affordable, imperial topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the most valuable and also the rarest variety of topaz. Its colors are compared to those of the sun and sky during sunset, and ranges from light peach to dark shades of orange. The word ‘topaz’ is considered to have originated from the Sanskrit word for fire – tapas. Little wonder, considering the fiery colors that the stone displays.
Topaz is a hard gemstone (8Mohs) and often has excellent clarity with little to no visible inclusions. It is vitreous in luster and is almost always faceted, although sometimes it is cut into cabochons.
Oregon Sunstone
Features:
- Uncommon
- Contains a glowing effect
- Has copper inclusions
- Low durability
Not many people have heard of sunstone as it is quite rare and not a mainstream gemstone. Oregon sunstone, named after Oregon, USA, where it is primarily found, is a unique stone that contains tiny copper impurities.
When touched by light, and viewed from the correct angle, these inclusions give of metallic flashes that results in a stunning glittering appearance. High-quality sunstone is dynamic and appears to be glowing, like a source of fire.
Sunstone is not very durable (6 Mohs) and should be placed in protective settings if used in rings. When paired with yellow or rose gold, sunstone looks stunning as the gold accentuates the fiery look of the stone.
Spessartite Garnet
Features:
- Most famous orange gemstone
- Good durability
- Relatively affordable
The most famous of all orange gemstones, spessartite garnet is a variety of the large and complicated garnet family. It receives its color from traces of manganese and displays shades of faint orange to orange-red. Large, eye-clean spessartite garnets are quite rare and valuable.
Spessartite has a hardness ranking of 7 Mohs and contains no cleavage. This makes it durable enough for use in all types of jewellery. It is a brilliant gemstone and is often transparent. Spessartite garnet can be faceted or shaped into cabochons.
Mexican Fire Opal
Features:
- Low durability
- Rare and sought after
- Typically faceted
- Waxy to vitreous luster
Fire opal is a variety of opal gemstones known for their wide range of color. The most desirable fire opal color is vivid orange and red-orange with intense saturation. These can command very high prices and are quite rare.
Unlike most other opal varieties, fire opals are often translucent to transparent. Transparent fire opal is typically faceted and cut into popular gemstone shapes. Opals are rather soft gemstones (5.5 to 6.5 Mohs) and are not very suitable for rings that you plan to wear every day.
Orange Spinel
Features:
- Rare and sought after
- May display asterism
- Good brilliance
- Very good durability
Orange is a rare spinel color and stones with vivid and intense orange saturation are highly sought after and considered the desirable. They are especially popular among collectors. Most orange spinel is free of inclusions, although some may contain needle-like rutile inclusions that can give the stone the highly-sought after gemstone phenomenon known as asterism.
Orange spinel has a high refractive index and dispersion, which results in good brilliance. Orange spinel is very durable (Mohs 8) but it does not handle heat well and the color can fade from prolonged exposure to heat. Gemstone Orange spinel is not commonly enhanced or treated, however, there are synthetic versions are quite common on the market.
Orange Tourmaline
Features:
- Not a popular tourmaline color
- Good durability
- Vitreous luster
- Brilliant
Tourmaline is known as the rainbow gemstone due to its wide range of colors. Orange tourmaline is not the most popular tourmaline color makes for beautiful jewellery. Some orange tourmaline stones can have a brownish undertone, but there are also vivid pure orange stones which are more desirable. Most tourmalines exhibit pleochroism, where the stone displays two colors when viewed from different angles. With orange tourmalines, the two colors that are displayed is brown and orange.
Orange tourmaline is commonly faceted due to its brilliance and very good clarity. Tourmaline has good durability (7 to 7.5 Mohs) and with reasonable care can last a very long time. While synthetic tourmaline is not commonly used in jewellery, heat treatment is generally carried out on tourmaline to enhance its color.
Orange Amber
Features:
- Low durability
- Warm to the touch
- Scent of pine
- Contains interesting inclusions
Amber belongs to the small group known as organic gemstones and is made of fossilized tree resin. Amber often has a smell of pine and is warm to the touch. This gemstone has been used for centuries in jewellery, dating back all the way to 13,000 years. Amber is often found in hues of yellow, gold and orange.
One of ambers desirable traits is the many inclusions often present in the stone. Some common inclusions include insects and plant matter. Generally, in the gemstone world, inclusions tend to lower the price of a stone. However, where amber is concerned, the value of the stone can increase due to the unusual and intriguing inclusions within the stone. However, amber is a very soft stone (2 Mohs) and not suitable for most types of jewellery. Orange amber is also sensitive to chemicals, alcohol and perfumes and needs extra care.
Orange Aventurine
Features:
- A type of quartz
- Displays aventurescence
- Medium durability
- Often opaque
Aventurine is a variety of the common quartz family. While green is the most common aventurine color, orange is a beautiful and earthy color in aventurine gemstones. Aventurine displays what is known as aventurescence, a glitter effect across its surface that comes from the small flaky impurities present in the stone. The higher the level of aventurescence, the more desirable the stone. This quality makes the stone shiny and vivid.
Although of medium hardness (6.5 to 7 Mohs) aventurine is a tough gemstone, like all gemstones made of quartz, due to its compact structure. It has a vitreous to waxy luster and is often translucent to opaque. Aventurine is mostly cut into cabochons, but it can be faceted for an added effect.
Other Orange Gemstones
Here are some orange gemstones that did not make our top 12 list for various reasons.
- Orange Sphalerite– Transparent to translucent, this gemstone has a very brilliant luster. Unfortunately, it is much too soft to be used in most types of jewellery.
- Orange Fluorite – This gemstone can be very vivid in color. It is a very popular mineral but has very low durability.
- Carnelian– Although most carnelian is red, there are also orange varieties. These are often translucent and very beautiful.
- Orange Agate– This often occurs in banded varieties with translucent to opaque clarity. These are popular in the use of cameos, carvings and cabochons.
Some Considerations Before You Buy
If you’re wondering whether to choose a silver-hued metal, rose or yellow gold with your orange gemstone, the good news is that orange gemstones go well with all metal colors. White metals such as silver, platinum and white gold are perfect for contemporary, modern designs. They also highlight the color of the gemstone, making it the focal point of the jewellery.
Yellow gold complements orange gemstones and offers less of a contrast. The transition from metal to stone is smoother and both work in harmony. A rose gold and orange gemstone pairing is quite unique and has a vintage look to it.
